16th Coastal Battery (BC Garrison)

The 16th Coastal Battery (BC Garrison), RBCA is a unit of the BC Army, and is one of the artillery batteries of the Royal Regiment of British Columbia Artillery.

Some ranks in Royal BC Artillery units are different from those in other Army units. Specifically, in in all units of the Royal Regiment of British Columbia Artillery a Private is called a Gunner (Gnr), a Lance Corporal is called a Lance Bombardier (L Bdr) and a Corporal is called a Bombardier (Bdr).

History
In the 1850s and 1860s, the Vancouver Island Constabulary, one of the forerunners of the British Columbia Constabulary, maintained several cannon at key points protecting Victoria's harbour, and this continued after the amalgamation of the British Columbia and Vancouver Island colonies and the subsequent merger of the Vancouver Island Constabulary and the Western Frontier Constabulary.

In 1874, when the first batteries of regular British Columbian artillery were being formed, the guns around Victoria were taken over by a new regular army unit named the Victoria Garrison Artillery. In 1876, the old guns were withdrawn and replaced by the RBL 20-pounder Armstrong field gun and the unit was redesignated as the British Columbia Garrison Artillery. In 1895, the unit's guns were brought together at Fort Rodd Hill, Victoria, the new BL 5-inch 127 mm howitzer was introduced to BC service by the BC Garrison Artillery, which in 1916-1917 were replaced by the BL 6-inch 26 cwt howitzer of 152.4 mm calibre.

In 1920, when the restructuring of BC's artillery units resulted in the formation of two separate entities, the BC Horse Artillery and the BC Garrison Artillery, the unit returned to its earlier name, the Victoria Garrison Artillery. When the Horse Artillery and the Garrison Artillery were merged in 1929 to form the Royal BC Artillery, the Victoria Garrison was once again renamed, back to BC Garrison Artillery. This lasted until 1939, when it was renamed once more, when it became the 16th Coastal Battery (British Columbia Garrison Artillery).

From 1916 until Japan's entry into the Second World War in 1941 the 16th Coastal used the 6-inch guns, exercising both as coastal and as field artillery. As a result of the opening of the Pacific theatre and the assumed threat of Japanese attacks on the BC coast, the battery was reinforced with six 8-inch Gun M1 203 mm heavy guns. Further, two Bofors QF 40 mm anti-aircraft guns were position at Ford Rodd Hill along with two searchlights.

In 1949 the unit was relegated to Militia status, and in 1950 the old 6-inch guns were finally withdrawn. Instead, a further three heavy 8-inch guns were transferred to the unit. Although remaining a coastal defence battery in name, the unit exercises and functions as a field artillery battery since 1959, when it became apparent that coastal guns are of little value in the modern environment.

Regimental Alliances

 * Australia Royal Regiment of Australian Artillery
 * Canada Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery
 * India Regiment of Artillery
 * New Zealand Royal Regiment of New Zealand Artillery
 * Rhodesia Royal Regiment of Rhodesian Artillery
 * South Africa South African Artillery Corps
 * United Kingdom Royal Regiment of Artillery